


Anytime

by Quillfiend



Category: League of Legends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22951501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quillfiend/pseuds/Quillfiend
Summary: Young Akali seeks comfort.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	Anytime

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a little continuation of a story published on universe.

It was raining outside, and not just that - the sky roared ahead, terrible rumbling accompanying the sound of heavy droplets splashing against the muddy ground, and yet Akali wasn't afraid, or cold, or even a little worried that she might catch a cold; no, all the wrongs she felt were in her mind, her heart. She still clutched her kunai pendant in her hands, trucking on and up the small cherry blossom hill, so dark and dreary in this awful weather. A quaint stone shrine sat upon it, too plain to shield one from the fury of the elements, and yet the man sitting between the carved pillars seemed as unbothered by the weather as Akali. She could see that he was meditating, and she _knew_ she wasn't supposed to interrupt the adults when they did that, but he was only an _almost_ adult, and so it didn't count.

She knelt beside him and tried to imitate what he was doing. Shen slowly opened his eyes and greeted her with a faint smile.

„And here I thought it would take a few more years before you get the patience for this,“ his voice was calm as ever, „but look at you. Ahead of the class once again.“

„Hm.“ Akali frowned, and a long silence followed. Talking was hard; it made her throat shiver and hurt and forced tears into her eyes again. „Why does my mom like Faey more than me?“

Shen looked ahead, pondering his response for a moment. „Why do you think she does?“

„She's always nice to her. When she does something good, mom always praises her. I just get scolded when I do something bad. Now everybody blames me for what happened, and—and—„

She bit her cheek. She didn't want to just bawl her eyes out again, not in front of Shen.

„Hmm,“ he mused, „I'm certain your mother is very proud of you. You can see yourself that the other apprentices have trouble keeping up with you. You're talented - maybe even more than me!“

She smiled briefly, but then her chin dropped again. „But it's not enough.“

Shen wasn't saying anything, and she didn't know what to make of it. When he gently laid his hand on her shoulder after a long pause, she took it as an invitation to leap into his arm and squeeze him like a tick - like her mother squeezed Faey. His garb muffled her sobs when she buried her face in it, and she was grateful for that.

„Your mother loves you,“ Shen whispered softly after his arms closed around her, „maybe she just thinks you don't need her to show it.“

„That's so stupid,“ Akali cried, „and unfair. Why wouldn't I?!“

„I don't know.“ Shen drew a sharp breath. „Sometimes it's just like that.“

„I don't want it to be. I want her to praise me like Faey. And hug me.“

„Have you tried telling her?“

The girl didn't respond; she didn't know how. She didn't want to. And so they sat in the little shrine, the heavy rain around drumming them a somber background melody.

„You're nice,“ Akali finally said, wiping away her tears, „quiet, but nice. You won't tell anybody about this, right?“

„No, I won't. It can be our secret, if you so wish.“

„Yeah.“ She looked up at him. „Thanks.“

„Anytime,“ he said, no, _promised_ \- like a friend. Everything felt a bit less lonely in that moment.

„Will you teach me how to meditate?“

A shadow of doubt crossed his face, a disapproving adult frown that she was quick to deflect with her best puppy eyes. Shen sighed.

„But no interruptions!“ he threatened with an upturned finger. Akali nodded quickly, pulled away from him and imitated his sitting position. He took a deep breath, and so did she, leaving the tent in which her mother held Faey far behind.


End file.
